


Fallout 4 - Picking up the torch

by Saberwriter



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Fallout AU, Female Sole Survivor - Freeform, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-04-01 01:50:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13987950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saberwriter/pseuds/Saberwriter
Summary: So what if the Sole Survivor...wasn't?This story is inspired by the 'Start Me Up' mod available on the Nexus Mods site(https://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/18946/). What if Anita Mayweather, instead of being the Sole Survivor, was actually a resident of the Commonwealth, but still found herself drawn into the plot of Fallout 4? What changes, and what stays the same?





	1. Chapter 1

October 31, 2287

It’d been an interesting year, Anita thought to herself. A year since Colonel Robert Mactavish had betrayed them for one more hit of Jet. One year since she, Bonnie Carson and Alan Grimes had survived the Raider assault, tracked down and ended MacTavish’s chem-addled life. A year since the Minutemen died, in her mind.

The image of Bonnie smashing her exhausted laser musket over Robert’s head was a fitting image. Alan fell for one of the residents and wound up staying on; Bonnie had decided to make her way home. Anita…had nowhere to go; no real family at home. She wandered for a few months, a guard for hire, and eventually found her way to Diamond City.

A nice place to settle down. Build a new life, make some new friends, even if the mayor was kind of a pill. But life required a job, and a job like hers required trips like this. Teaching the guards and the eager but inexperienced salvaging groups who kept Crazy Myrna in business how not to get killed by their own weapons when going beyond The Wall was rewarding, and certainly earned her a place in Diamond City. But that job required parts, and the last shipment of parts for her firearms repair shop and gun range were rusted pieces of useless junk. Meaning that she had to got out and get the damn salvage herself. It was a good run; a few traders had set up in Hangman’s Alley saved her a lot of time, even allowing her to spend an extra day out.

But the haggling had run long, and now Anita was walking a bit more quickly, backpack of assorted junk clanking softly against the rifle slung over her shoulder, pistol in hand, eyes scanning for any threat.

She heard the faint moan even before she saw the bodies. Feral ghouls, on the wrong side of a shotgun. And…blood trail. “Hell,” she whispered, “I don’t have time for this.” Despite saying this, she followed the trail to a small alleyway.

The man was dying; that was clear to Anita as soon as he saw him. There were several blood-soaked rips in the blue vault suit, and the faint smell spoke of earlier wounds not treated properly. Whoever this was, he had been running on sheer willpower. Cautiously, she touched his shoulder. “Hey. You still with me?” He gasped suddenly, making Anita almost fall over backwards. “Easy, easy. It’s okay. Understand?” He nodded. “You got a name?” She took out a stimpack, reasoning that it would ease the pain, if nothing else.

“N…Nate. Nate Jameson.”

Chapter 1 : Dead Man's dream

“Nice to meet you,” Anita whispered. in the dying light. She heard a faint pinging sound; the pip-boy on his arm was…well, telling her what was already obvious.  
“Find …took my son. Killed Nor…” Nate shuddered, making a noise somewhere between a sob and a moan of pain. “Have to find….”

Protect the people at a moment’s notice, a small voice in the back of her head whispered. Shut up, Anita thought back. She looked at Nate again. “I can help,” she heard herself say. “I can find your son.”

“T…tape…Pip-b…” Nate’s arms shuddered. “There’s a tape in your pip-boy,” Anita asked. “I should take it?” Nate nodded. “Shaun…Nora….” Nate’s whole body shook, then was still.

Anita swore quietly, reached forward and closed Nate’s eyes. She took the Pip-boy off his wrist, finding the holotape inside, as well as a second one in a small pouch, marked 'Vault 111 - Security Footage’ in precise, machine generated lettering. She also took the pistol and shotgun with her; better her than a Raider she reasoned. She should go, she told herself. No, there was one last thing.  
Plasma grenades were expensive, and hard to come by. But Anita would be damned if she’d leave this poor man’s corpse to the vermin, two or four legged. She took the one she’d bought just yesterday out, set the timer, then ran back several yards, only looking back after the blast to make sure there was nothing left of the body.

–

“And that’s the whole story, Nick.” Anita said. “You ever hear of Vault 111?”

Leaning back in his chair, Nick Valentine was quiet for a moment. “You know, there was that farmer who was here a few months back, Blake Abernathy. He said he’d heard rumours of some sort of giant door in the ground north of his place. Near that old abandoned neighborhood, what was it…”

“Sanctuary,” Ellie said, from the back of the office. “I got that security tape working. You’re going to want to see this, Nick.” She motioned the two over to where Nick’s terminal, a recent purchase that Ellie had spent three hours working on, and swearing at, to make it not explode when it switched on. She inserted the holotape and typed a few commands into the keyboard.

“My god,” Anita whispered. “They were helpless.”

Nick frowned. “Yeah. This was planned. See how they tried to just take the kid at first, until...was it Nora?...started kicking up a fuss. And that pod in particular." The ancient synth frowned as one of the figures turned, facing the camera. "That is who I think it is, isn’t it?”

“Conrad Kellogg, But he’s been off the grid for…well, years.”

Anita glanced at Ellie. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“Conrad Kellogg is a gun for hire, one of the best. And rumours place him with the Institute, or at least on speaking terms with them. Going up against him is a good way to get killed.”

Anita was quiet for a second. “The man lost his wife and son. Now there’s an orphan out there, somewhere.”

“If it is the institute, there may not be a son to find.” Nick stood up. “I’ve still got a few irons in the fire here, but if you need a hand, I’m available.”

Anita stood up as well, shaking Nick’s hand. “Well, I’ll check Sanctuary and see if I can find this Vault. Maybe something else will turn up. See ya around Nick.”

To be continued!


	2. A familiar face

The character of Gene (namedropped here, but will be showing up later) belongs to [vkm11](http://vkm11.tumblr.com/), artist and good friend.

 

Diamond City

It had taken a few days; locking her place up and getting a few items for her trip was easy enough. Pistol, rifle, collapsible baton, a bit of light armor. It was a slightly more paranoid loadout than she usually carried, but Nick’s warning about Kellogg stuck in her mind. Then there was the other minor items; a few stimpacks, radaway, pair of grenades, food and water…it was very easy for someone to become overencumbered if they overthought how much they needed. There was a fairly steady stream of caravans entering and leaving Diamond City, it was just timing, luck, and a few caps to find one going in the direction you wanted to go. And if you were good with a gun, so much the better.

“Heading out?”

Anita, one foot on the steps out of Diamond City, stopped and turned. “Hey, Piper. Yeah, just a bit of a mystery. I imagine you already got all the details from Nick.”

“No, but now I know where to ask,” Piper answered, not even bothering to hide the impish smile. “Or you could spare me the time…” She shifted to a completely unbelievable pleading tone, getting a laugh out of Anita. “But make it quick,” she added, switching back to her normal tone. “If I’m right, that visitor that McDonough keeps getting should be arriving any time.”

“Found a vault dweller near Hangman’s Alley. Some kidnappers grabbed his baby son and killed his wife. Looks like he made his way from west of Concord, then finally got taken down by some ferals.” She left off the parts about Kellogg, the Institute, and the Vault. Anita liked Piper, considered her one of her best friends, but the would-be reporter could be a little too eager sometimes.

“That’s a story that’s been repeated too many times around here. It’s really sweet that you’re trying to find his kid. But what do you tell a kid who’s lost…well, everything?”

Anita blinked a few times, remembering an almost completely botched rescue during her second month as a Minuteman, a lifetime ago. “That his father loved him very much,” she finally answered, voice quiet. “I’d better get going. Give my best to the rest of the gang.”

“Will do. Watch yourself out there, Minutemen are a rarity out there.”

“I’m not a Minuteman,” Anita answered, though there wasn’t the usual conviction she had when she said it. Usually to Piper, she realised. “This is just the right thing to do, that’s all. I’ve got Arturo keeping an eye on the shop. If you see Gene-”

“I’ll tell her you said hi, and that it’s your turn to read that stupid comic.”

Anita tried to look offended. ‘Tried’ being the operative word. “The Silver Shroud versus the Phantom Librarian is a classic.” Anita broke first, unable to hold a straight face any longer.

–

It had taken four days, But Anita eventually made it to Abernathy farm, surprised to see that the place had been built up into something more defensible than what she had expected.

“It’s something, isn’t it,” Blake Abernathy said. “Vault Dweller from north of here, he had this thing on his arm that was able to turn that-” he indicated a red…machine?…by the front door of his house, ”thing on. Next thing you know, walls and structures were springing up, there were little robots popping out and building things. Place is more defended now than ever since we set up here. Mary would have loved to see it…” he trailed off, voice wistful.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Anita said quietly. “What do you know about this Vault Dweller?”

“Nate something. Nice guy, but seemed driven by something fierce. He said he was from Sanctuary, just north of here. Seems to be a lot of ruckus, must be one of those machines like the one here. Even heard of a few caravans going there. Be nice to have some neighbors that aren’t trying to rob you for a change. Hey, you want to rest your feet a while?”

“Thanks, but there’s something I have to check on in Sanctuary.” Anita decided not to bring up the fate of their saviour. “Maybe on the way back, though.” She shouldered her rifle and headed north. It took a few hours, but the area was surprisingly quiet. The caravan she had traveled with had encountered more than the usual number of would be thieves; word of the Minutemen’s demise had spread quickly after Quincy. But there were only a few bloatflies and the occasional radstag wandering the area. In time, she saw the burned out Red Rocket station, and turned left. She saw the statue that marked the edge of Sanctuary, and the bridge that crossed the deceptively clear river. She also saw the large water purifier, and the several towers of scaffolding that held defensive turrets at the corners of the bridge, as well as several similar emplacements marking out the border of the town. And people, much to her surprise.

One of the people at the guard post at the end of the bridge spotted Anita as she set foot on the bridge. “What brings ya by?” He seemed friendly, well-muscled build, hair combed back, relaxed tone. “Welcome to Sanctuary, population…well, us. Name’s Sturges.”

“Anita Mayweather, Diamond City. Okay if I approach, or are those turrets going to turn me into molerat chow?”

Sturges chuckled. “Nahh, they’ll behave. Come on over!” Anita approached, noting with some relief that the turrets had stopped pointing at her, and had resumed pointing across the river. “Part of a caravan?”

“No, traveling on my own. I’m actually looking for information about a Vault Dweller named Nate Jameson. Tall guy, brown hair, blue suit?”

“Yeah, I know him. Helped set this place up all nice for us. Lemme get the guy in charge of the place, he knows him the best. HEY, PRESTON!” Anita flinched; Sturge’s voice carried unusually well. Anita passed under the hastily constructed arch as someone stepped out of the second house on her left. She blinked, recognising the man.

“Preston? From Colonel Hollis’ group?”

Preston Garvey stopped, looking at Anita. “Mayweather, right? From Mactavish’s group. I thought you were all dead.”

“Likewise. I…I heard about Quincy. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. But what brings you here? Nate must have made it to Diamond City!”

“He…he didn’t.”

–

The three retreated to one of the partially rebuilt houses near the entrance to Sanctuary. After they had pulled some chairs around a barely stable table, it took Anita only a few minutes to murder Preston’s Garvey’s hopes, which killed Anita. Colonel Hollis was one of the few leaders of the Minutemen who was actually a decent human being, Preston being one of the others.

“Damn it,” Preston swore. “I should have done more to stop him.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, boss,” Sturges chimed in. “I don’t think anything could have stopped Nate from charging out unless someone broke his legs. He was hurtin’.”

“And he died in an alley, alone.” Preston replied grimly.

“He wasn’t alone,” Anita spoke up. “He told me what happened, gave me that security recording, and his pip boy.” She took the pip-boy out. “Tried to get it to work, but it won’t start.” She held up the device, not sure what to do with it.

Sturges took the pip-boy, giving it a quick once-over. “Looks like he smashed it into someone’s noggin. I’ll have a look at it, let me know if you want it back.”

“Thanks, I think I will,” Anita answered. “It’s the only thing that’ll open a vault, short of a nuke.” Sturges grinned, pulled a small screwdriver out of a pouch on his belt, and set to work.

Preston sighed tiredly. ‘Thanks, Anita. I guess I’d better tell Codsworth.”

–

The Mr. Handy hovered in place as Preston relayed the news of Nate’s death. There was a full minute of silence, then: “I see,” Codsworth said, stricken. Anita was a little surprised. Myrna's robot assistant Percy sounded similar, but Anita had assumed that his chipper nature was programmed. Codsworth’s grief sounded…real. “I shall see Master Sturges for a memory wipe. I..There’s no real need for me now, is there?”

“Now hold on, Codsworth,” Preston cut in. “You’ve already been a big help to everyone here. And I know Sturges would never allow it. We need you here.”

“I was programmed to serve Masters Nate and Nora Jameson, to assist them and care for their son, Shaun. If they’re all gone-”

“Now, now,” another person, an older woman dressed in blue jacket and brown pants, walked up. “If you wipe all 200 years of your life, who’s going to look after little old me?” She glanced at Preston, who seemed about to say something, but held back. “I’d hate to lose a friend that’s almost as old as I am,” she said with a faint grin.

“Now, mum, really! It’s not proper to discuss such things!”

“You see? There’s few enough people with really good manners in this world, I’d hate to lose one who’s become such a good friend. Come on,” The woman offered an arm, which Codsworth took after a second of what Anita could swear was a flustered…hovering? “Why don’t you tell me about the way the world used to be, before the War?” The two wandered off, Codsworth eagerly chatting about a world Anita could only dream of.

“…200 years?”

Preston nodded. “Yep. They must have known how to make them before the war. He stayed here and kept the place as…well, as clean as possible until Nate got out. That’s loyalty.” He glanced at Anita. “Did word about Quincy even get out your way?”

“I know where this is going, Preston. Mactavish was a chem-head and sold us out to a raider gang. We went from 10 Minutemen to 3 and Mactavish in half a day. And even before that…You were with Colonel Hollis, weren’t you?” Preston nodded. “A few more like him, and we might have kept the Minutemen together. But every other Colonel was either incompetent, some kind of addict, or more interested in making a name for himself.”

“I heard rumours but…damn. I was hoping we could rebuild the Minutemen, but…” Preston trailed off. “Maybe the dream is over.”

“There’s not been much word about Quincy; I only heard about it second hand. Heck, someone I know was able to get back into Diamond City a week ago by claiming they had a merchant from Quincy with them.” Anita smiled a bit at the memory; Piper had press-ganged a random settler into convincing Danny Sullivan to open the gate for her after Mayor McDonough’s most recent attempt to throw her out. “There could be groups out there that don’t even know what happened. Ronnie’s probably still around, I head she was up a bit north of the Commonwealth.”

“Better than nothing, I suppose. I don’t suppose…”

Anita shook her head. “As a Minuteman? I think…those days are behind me. But as a friend? Sure.” She extended a hand.

Preston took the hand and shook it, grinning. “Best thing I’ve heard all day.”

-To be continued!


	3. Dogged Pursui

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: I started writing this a while before Fallout 76 was announced; Part of Anita’s backstory is that she’s from Vault 76, which in this story is located in Plymouth (Not too far south-ish of Quincy), not West Virginia. So, um...let’s just keep this between us?

_Yeah, you just keep yappin, ya Uppah Stands punk_.  Gene Dandridge’s eyes narrowed; behind her, the faint whirr of Nick Valentine’s gears cut through what could only be described as a lover’s spat between a wannabe gangster and a wannabe gangster’s moll. Piper didn’t say anything, but Gene could almost hear the anger the reporter was feeling.

“You said we were headed for the big times, Malone!” Darla Breckinridge ranted as the remaining gangsters shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to handle the now-routine explosions.

“Yeah,” Piper snapped. “Living in a half-completed Vault with a bunch of thugs. Really big times. Finally get tired of competing with the Latimers? I mean, I know Nelson’s even a bigger poser than Malone, but at least he has some class.”

Nick shook his head. “Not helping, Piper,” he whispered.  

“I’m -handling it-, Darla,” ‘Skinny’ Malone replied, the tommy gun making shaky movements between Valentine and his two would-be rescuers. If it wasn’t for the gun, Gene would have happily punched Darla’s lights out, dragged her like a sack of potatoes back to Diamond City, then personally handed her a basket of rotted mutfruit as Diamond City security kicked her, and probably her whole family, out of the city, assuming she wasn’t disowned first. Behind her, Piper and Nick stood tense, weapons drawn.

Malone finally glared at Darla until she subsided, then aimed his weapon at the three. “Sorry Nicky. We had some good times, but you and your friends wrecked this whole operation.”

There was a muffled cough, then one of the mobsters dropped to the ground, followed by a second mobster.  Malone and the two surviving thugs whirled around to see where the shot had come from. Darla tried to, but Gene took advantage of the distraction to dart forward and slam the butt of her shotgun into the side of Darla’s head.

At the entrance to the Vault, Ellie Perkins, her own tommy gun aimed at Skinny Malone, strode forward. Behind her, Anita’s rifle, faint wisp of smoke coming off the suppressor, kept the remaining mobsters covered. Ellie glared at Malone, one finger resting lightly on the trigger of her rifle. “If you’re going to put even more holes in my boss, could you wait until -after- he’s signed my paycheck?” Malone looked between the two groups of attackers, sighed, and carefully put his submachine gun on the ground, motioning for his two lackeys to do likewise.

Fallout : Picking Up the Torch chapter 3   
Dogged pursuit

-Wicked Aesthetics, Diamond City

Two days later, Gene was frowning at the cash till. She didn’t regret helping Nick, but she had lost a lot of business to Becky Fallon. “Figures,” she sighed. She’d had to make several unscheduled closures over the last few months, and not always for salvage. “What’dya think, Tim?” she asked the Assaultron, sitting quietly in its charging bay. The robot beeped a few times; the terminal connected to the charging pod lit up:

>SALE INADVISABLE:STOCK OF MERCHANDISE TOO LOW

>SUGGESTION : MOVE BUSINESS OUTSIDE OF DIAMOND CITY

>SUGGESTION : PARTNERSHIP W/FALLON’S BASEMENT

>SUGGESTION : DEPLOY MUNITIONS FOR FRONTAL ASSAULT

Gene swore quietly. Tom had assured her that all the old programming had been swamped out. “I sweah, you’re going to get us both kicked out.”

The chime by the front desk rang; Looking up from the terminal, Gene mentally cued up her usual sales pitch, then stopped; “Heya, Piper, ‘Nita! How’s things?”

Piper smirked. “Well, after the council read Darla the riot act, they’ve holed up to decide whether or not to kick the whole family out of the Upper Stands. Of course McDonough is saying to give the brat another chance.” Piper sighed, smirk fading to an irritated scowl. “I swear if I said the sky was blue, he’d argue it was orange.”

“Between what you, me, Ellie, and Nick said, the council’s bound to give her the bum’s rush,” Gene replied. “Mayor’s only got one voice. And a lot of us are getting fed up with both her and Nelson Latimer, Uppah Stands trash or not. How about you, Anita? Find anything in...what was it, Sanctuary?”

“More questions, Nick and Ellie are going over the security tapes I was able to find…”

 

\--Vault 111, a few days earlier

 

Anita’s nose curled slightly. This place was nothing like the Vault she grew up in. But then, Vault 76 wasn’t set up as some kind of cryogenic facility. “I had no idea.”

Beside her, Sturges looked around, more than a little distracted by all the useful salvage that could be brought back to Sanctuary. “Hmm, I’ve heard a few of these Vaults had some pretty messed up stuff going on inside. Not yours?”

“No, Vault 76 was…” Anita paused as she touched a door control. The metal door slid quietly upward, revealing a small office. “Overseer’s office, perfect. 76 was, we found out *much* later, what they called a ‘control vault.’ No experiments, just load in as many people as they could, wait for the fallout to clear, and start rebuilding America.” She sat down at the Overseer’s desk, and started entering some commands on the terminal.

‘Hel-lo,” Sturges wandered over to a small locked display case. ‘What have we here?”

Anita glanced up. “According to this, that is a ‘cryolator’. Portable freeze gun. Someone’s been reading too many comics.” She kept working. “Well, it looks like this wasn’t supposed to go more than a few months after the bombs dropped. Looks like there was a mutiny when the supplies started to run low.” Anita jumped as there was a loud clang. “Sturges, what the hell-?”

“Heh, sorry. Thing’s heavier than it looks.” Sturges wrestled with the display case, dragging the display case on the floor. “Lock’s kinda tricky, so I figured I’d just take the whole darned thing back to my shop.”

Anita just stared at the engineer. “You’re really going to drag...you know what? Never mind.” She tapped a few more keys, then swore quietly. “Ahh, nothing else I can see. There might be some files but I can’t access them from here.”

“Deeper in?”

The ex-Minuteman glanced at the door. “Map says cryo-storage is that way. Gahh, makes it sound like one of those old prewar shopping malls.” She got up from the desk. “And no, I’m not helping you carry that thing. Leave it here, it’ll be fine.” Sturges chuckled, letting the case rest on the floor.

The two ventured further in. They were both struck by the sheer level of technology displayed, and how well it had held up over the past two centuries. After a few minutes of poking around, they finally found what they were looking for.

“That’s a lot of pods,” Sturges whispered. 

 

\--Wicked Aesthetics, now

 

Gene arched an eyebrow. “Pods?”

Anita nodded. “Looked to be about 20 of them, split between two rooms. We found Nora’s pod.”  She winced. “It looked like someone opened the pod and shot her. Between what Nate said before he died and what we could get off the security footage, she probably had the baby with her in the pod.”

“Nate watched some bastard kill his wife,” Gene whispered. “And they left him there?”

“That’s where it gets confusing. It looks like he was refrozen for ten years. Nate’s pod was opened up by a remote signal.”

Gene leaned back in her chair. “Well, the Vault was still sealed up, so it wasn’t Raiders or Gunners. Brotherhood’s not been sniffing around up there, so...you thinkin’ Institute?”

Anita and Piper shared a glance. Then Piper looked at Gene a bit oddly. “Yeah. Yeah, we were thinking that way. But how’d you know about the Brotherhood not being in the area?”

“Ahh, I know some people on the trade routes. Not so much as a standout, orange playsuit or full tinweah in that areah.” It was Piper’s turn to arch an eyebrow, not fully convinced by Gene’s evasion. 

“Well,” Anita said, voice breaking the awkward silence that had suddenly set in. “It’s been a long trip there and back, and I need some sleep. I’m going to go back to my place and be very unconscious for a while. But wake me up if they decide to throw Darla out.”

 

\--

 

Anita woke up the following day to learn that Darla, as it turned out, was not to be thrown out.   McDonough summoned all the bluster he could to ‘keep this poor misguided soul from a fate worse than death.” The council relented, and decreed that Darla Breckinridge would be on harvesting duty for the next five weeks, with time added if any of the foodstuffs she picked were damaged; the council was well aware of her explosive temper. At the back of the room, Piper rolled her eyes and snorted just loudly enough to get a few dark looks from the councilor reading the verdict.

“Typical,” she huffed. “Damn near bashes our heads in and she gets a slap on the wrist.”

Beside her, Nick shrugged his shoulders. “Well, her old man’s a former councilor, so he probably put in a few good words. If nothing else, he’s burned a lot of his goodwill bailing her out. Can’t help but notice he’s...conspicuous in his absence.”

“Well, not the ending I hoped for.” As she said that, Piper glared at Darla as she was led out. Darla didn’t look up once. “10 caps says she decks someone on her first day.”

Nick smirked. “20 says it’s before her first hour’s up. Come on. Ellie’s got something on those tapes Anita brought back.”

 

\--Valentine's Detective Agency

 

“Thanks, Ellie.” Anita leaned against the filing cabinet by the small table where Ellie had the terminal set up, then shifted her weight slightly as the cabinets all creaked alarmingly.

“No problems. I just wish I could tell you more. Oh, hey Nick, Piper!”

“So, anything new?” Nick nodded at Anita as he entered.

“More questions,” Ellie answered. “The murder happened 10 years ago, but it looks like that about 8 years after the murder, the pods Anita found empty were opened again. Everyone else’s pod was...they switched off the life support on everyone they left behind, except for Nate.”

“My god,” Piper whispered. “Kidnapping, and murder.”

Anita glanced at Nick. “And the whole time, the vault door was sealed. Aside from a few radroaches, there’s no sign of another way in or out. And these things are made to survive...well, they were made to survive the War. 111 was built into the side of a hill, complete with a giant elevator to get down to the front door.”

“Great. Locked room mysteries are fine reading, but a pain to figure out in real life. Especially when they’re a decade old.” Nick sat down, leaning back in his chair. “So we have a murder inside a vault, at least one kidnapping, and nine people unaccounted for. Plus we have Conrad Kellogg at the scene, plus some people in full body cleanroom suits.”

Anita blinked. “‘Cleanroom’? Like a hazmat suit?”

“It’s more a prewar thing,” the synth answered. ‘Keeping out germs and whatnot. Hazmat suits are a lot more durable. But if it’s the Institute, it’d make sense.”

Ellie spoke up “Hey, Nick? Didn’t Kellogg have a place here in the city about a year ago?”

“Urgh, don’t remind me,” Piper interjected, shivering.

 

\- 1 year ago

 

Piper strode up to the balding man as he stepped out of his house. “Piper Wright, Publick Occurrences. I think everyone would like to know what brings one of the most notorious mercenaries in the Commonwealth to Diamond City?”

Kellogg looked at Piper, then down at where Nat was in front of Piper’s office. “That your kid?” he asked, voice neutral but still full of menace, somehow.   
“M...my sister, yes,” Piper whispered, suddenly terrified.

“Maybe keep an eye on her instead,” Kellogg said simply. He walked back into his house, closing the door, not bothering to lock it.

 

-Now

 

“Damn, I knew I should have stopped you.” Nick growled. “Glad you took the hint.”

“Yeah. Wasn’t easy. But he’s been gone for a year now; maybe we should pop over and take a look?”

“They’re not likely to give you the key to Kellogg’s place,” Anita said, smirking. “Unless I imagined that opinion piece you ran about Geneva last month.”

“I have sources!”

“And she’s got the keys.” Anita thought for a second. ‘Maybe if we showed her the tape…?”

“If McDonough is a synth, that might make things worse,” Piper sighed. “I know, I know, there’s no proof. But...it just feels like I’m on the right track. I tried following one of those mysterious visitors of his, and he vanished as soon as he was clear of the city. And I have one scavver that swears he saw one of them explode or was struck by lightning or something. But if Kellogg is involved…’ Piper trailed off, looking at Anita.

“Whatever you’re thinking Piper, I want no part of it,” Nick announced, getting up and escorting the two women out.

 

-Diamond City Entrance, One hour later

 

“This is despicable,” Anita muttered.

“You got any better ideas? Besides, the guy’s sweet on you.”

“He is not! Danny’s a good kid, and-” 

“Quiet, here he comes!”

Danny Sullivan, fresh off his shift guarding the main gate, saw Anita and Piper. ‘Oh, hey Miss Anita. And Piper,’ he added a bit sourly.

“Oh, it’s ‘Miss’ Anita, Danny?”

“Piper,” Anita sighed, exasperated. “I need a favour Danny. And it’s not just because Piper half dragged me here.”

“Believe me, we’re used to seeing the Piper Express,” Danny replied, grinning as Piper fumed. “Is this about that guy you found near Hangman’s Alley?”

“Yeah,” Anita answered, not surprised that word of her discovery had already gotten out. “I can show you a clip of Conrad Kellogg killing his wife. Is there any chance that Nick and I can check out his place?”

“Well…” Danny looked thoughtful. “You know, it’s odd. It’s been a year since he left, and the Mayor hasn’t signed off on reselling his place. But it is overdue for a normal safety inspection. And Nick is still technically on the repair rotation.  But,” Danny lowered his voice, “Not a word, okay? The Mayor’ll have my hide if he finds out about this.”

‘Not to worry. Piper’s not coming with me.”

Piper glared at Anita. “What? After all this, you’re cutting me out?”

 

\--That night

 

“Heh, would have loved to see Piper’s face.” Nick plugged the key into the lock of Kellogg’s house, and swung the door open. “Hmm, interesting.”

Anita stepped in. Remembering something from her youth, she held up the Pip-Boy on her arm and touched a control. The screen on the gadget went bright enough to serve as a crude flashlight. “Something up?”

“For a place that’s not been used in a year, there’s not a lot of dust.” Nick glanced around. On a whim, he touched a switch, causing the lights to go on. “And I thought the power was shut off, too.”

“It’s pretty sparse,” Anita agreed. “Does this place...feel more cramped than it should?”

“It does…” Nick’s eyes...narrowed wasn’t the right word, but that was the impression Anita got.  He walked over to one wall, letting his skeletal metal hand run across the surface, tapping the wall every few seconds. “Something doesn’t sound right…”

‘Button under the desk,” Anita called, kneeling down. “Just spotted the wire-”

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!” McDonough stormed into the small shack. “I never authorised-”

“Molerat inspections, Mayor,” Nick called. “City ordnance, every three months for a vacant house. Bill had the sweats, so I offered to fill in for old time’s sake.”

“I just know that Piper is involved in this somehow,” McDonough snarled. “I’ll have her, you, your accomplice-”

Irritated, Anita pushed the button. There was a faint hiss as a hidden door swung upwards, revealing a hidden room. Stocked with enough supplies to start a war.

“Ah...I see. Well, this will have to be reported to Security, naturally.  Good...good work Mister Valentine, Miss Mayweather.” The mayor stepped out, clearly deflated.

“No, he’s not up to something,” Anita muttered, walking into the room. “Lots of ammo, couple of pipe weapons...huh, couple of fusion cells” she added, rooting through one duffel bag. ‘Nick, these look fresh.”

 

-Next morning, Wicked Aesthetics

 

“Damn, Nick, I should have been there.” Gene glared at the ancient synth. And if McDonough knows she’s poking around...”

“If Danny Sullivan knows, it wouldn’t take much longer before McDonough put the pieces together. And it’s not a big secret that we have proof that Kellogg is connected to the Institute. Piper saw the security tape also, remember.” Gene swore quietly. “Kellogg’s place had a ton of fresh ammo, so someone’s using it on a regular basis. Didn’t say anything, but I saw some scorch marks on the floor, mostly covered up by a couple of rugs. If he’s smart, he’ll find another hiding spot.”

“Yeah. Thanks Nick. I-”

“Well, well!” A tall bald man with sunglasses and the loudest hawaiian shirt either of them had ever seen strode into the shop. “If it ain’t my favourite private eyeball! And the nicest haberdasher this side of the Glowing Sea.”

“Deacon.”

Deacon, unfazed by Gene’s irritation, just kept grinning. ‘So, any chance I can get a special order? Maybe something with a geiger counter?”

“...mine is in the shop,” Gene continued, voice dark. “But maybe there’s something in back. Come on. Tim, Mind the counter.” The assaultron took up its position at the cash register.

 

\--

 

“What the hell am I doing,” Anita wondered out loud, sitting at the small table in her house. “Chasing murderers, going into vaults. All because I found one dying man.” She fiddled with the Pip-boy, resting on the table, the cloth liner soaking in a small bowl of what Vadim claimed was enough alcohol to remove the sweaty stench. “Hm, radio. Wonder if I can get Travis on,”

She adjusted a dial scanning a few random frequencies. Then: “This is Scribe Haylen of Reconnaissance Squad Gladius to any unit in transmission range. Authorization Arx. Ferrum. Nine. Five. Our unit has sustained casualties and we're running low on supplies. We're requesting support or evac from our position at Cambridge Police Station. Automated message repeating…”

She stared at the Pip boy, remembering that Piper had mentioned the Brotherhood encampment in Cambridge. “The hell with it,” she snarled, getting up.

 

Next Chapter: Area Denial


	4. Area denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What starts off as a simple trek to the old Cambridge Police Department winds up leading Anita further down the rabbit hole

It was impossible to leave Diamond City without someone noticing. Especially when the town reporter Piper Wright had her news stand/office set up right by the entrance to the marketplace. Fortunately, Piper was somewhere else, probably making life hell for either the Mayor or the Breckinridge family.

 

Nat, (either had the day off of school, or she’d been sent home for giving Kowalski a fat lip and a quick nap, Anita wasn’t sure), was at her usual place, calling out (with only slight embellishments) the latest headlines. “Hey, Anita. Going out again?” She handed the latest copy of ‘Publick Occurrences’ to Anita, who took it with a faint smile. “You better be careful. I heard that there’s a group of Raiders that are all secretly synths working for the Institute. So if they catch you, everyone thinks it was Raiders.”

 

Anita kept her face as neutral as possible. “Sources,” she managed to say without snickering.

 

“I heard it during recess yesterday. Sheng Kowalski said that Nina heard her father Arturo talking to Vadim about it at the Dugout.”

“Wait...Nina was at the Dugout?”

  
“Friday night is family night. I think it was Yefim’s idea. Anyway, don’t be too long. You look like you’re going to be gone for a week.”

  
‘What gives you that impression, Nat?”

 

“Full pack, you’ve got your rifle, and you’re wearing that hat. Gene was dressed the same when she headed off a few days ago. Except for the hat.”

 

Anita blinked, hand going to her head. She was indeed wearing a hat, she realised. Pulling it off and looking at it, she saw it was the same hat she had worn a year ago when she had first arrived. The small brass Minuteman logo had faded slightly, but was still easily visible. Oddly, she wasn’t as upset as she thought she’d be looking at it.

 

“Were you really one of the Minutemen? Piper mentioned it once, but she said I shouldn’t ask you about it. I don’t know why, I mean, you are the good guys, right?”

 

Anita replied, a sad smile crossing her lips. “We were, yeah. See you around, Nat.”

 

“Careful out there. And say hi to Gene if you see her!”

 

 

 

Fallout 4 : Picking up the Torch

  
‘Area denial’

 

 

In better times, Anita could probably have made the trip in a little over a day. But, as she saw on her trip to Abernathy Farm and Sanctuary, there had been an increase in the number of Raiders and, oddly, Super Mutants. She wound up having to shelter overnight in a burned out building as a group of Super Mutants, including a Suicider ambled by, grumbling and looking for a fight. The next day she wound up detouring with a passing caravan which pushed her schedule back but was a bit safer. Even if it was Cricket’s caravan, though past experience had taught her how to tune out the explosion happy merchant. Arturo -really- hated Cricket, Anita recalled, even managed to use his influence with a few on the Council to have her barred from entering the City. Which had the side benefit of having her guards being able to vent about Cricket while they were at the Dugout.

 

On the third day, she was finally able to part company with Cricket, and made her way to the ruins that used to be Cambridge. Lots of ghouls in the area, she recalled as she drew her pistol and started walking very, very quietly. College town, she recalled. Popular hive for raiders if they were careful of the ghouls. The Minutemen tended to stay clear...she shook her head. Woolgathering was a good way to get oneself killed. She made her way past some ruined smaller buildings, she guessed they were shops, when she heard it. The distinct noise that laser weapons made.

 

She picked up the pace, hoping the sound of the firefight she was running towards masked her approach.  

  
\--

 

It took another 15 minutes of dodging and having to put down a few ferals that were roused by her movements. Fortunately, the Brotherhood had been busy in the area; she could see a few piles of ash and partially burned corpses. Then she was close enough to see the fortified area of the Cambridge Police Department.

 

It was an impressive setup, Anita had to admit, though the two buildings beside it made it easy to sneak up undetected. Fortunately, ferals weren’t known for stealth and tactics. They preferred to swarm, like they were doing to the abandoned police station for some reason. Then she saw the powered armour suits.

  
Two of them, were they Tee Fifty Ones? The suits looked somewhat battered, the one further from her missing all but the torso and the right leg armour. But the Brotherhood of Steel logos were clear, despite the wear. “Rhys,” one of the armoured soldiers ordered. “Covering fire, right quadrant.”

  
“Ad victoriam!” Rhys’ armour thundered forward, laser rifle blasting at the attacking ferals. But it was apparent that the ghouls attacking the police station had numbers on their side. “Danse, fall back, I’m going to drop my core.”

 

“Not an option, soldier! Fall back and use the trailer as cover!”

  
From her vantage point, Anita was able to get a good look at the attacking horde.  She was also able to pick out two glowing points near the back of the swarm. She took a quick glance through the scope on her rifle, then raised her voice.

  
“Glowing Ones! Two of them, 500 feet east of you!” The two...were they Knights? Anita couldn’t recall how the ranks worked in the Brotherhood.

  
“That explains a lot,” Danse’s voice rumbled from behind his helmet. “Rhys, civilian incoming. Cover her!” Did Rhys hesitate before obeying, Anita wondered as Rhys seemed to not do anything for a second, then moved to cover her. Anita ran, already hearing another ghoul shambling behind her. “Use the stairs on the barricade. Get up top and try to hit those Glowing Ones.”

 

Anita said nothing as she darted past Rhys, slamming a clip into her rifle.  She darted up the stairs as the sound of the two Knights’ laser rifles opened up again. She ran to the far corner of the barricades, crouched, barrel of her rifle resting on the low wall in front of her and aimed. “Come on, come on…” she muttered as she scanned the horde through her rifle’s scope.

  
There. She tilted the rifle up slightly, and squeezed the trigger; there was a strangled half-growl, half-grasp as one of the Glowing Ones toppled over backwards, suddenly lacking a head. The other Glowing One snarled and ducked off. Swearing, Anita took her eye off the scope, hoping to catch the distinctive green glow again. Below her, the two knights were still grimly firing, though he heard Rhys say he was down to his last fusion cell.

  
“Then make every shot count, Rhys! Status on those two Glowing Ones,” Danse called out, his voice carrying over the din of battle.

  
“One down,” Anita called, “one hiding. Knew I should have shot the smart one first!”

  
“They’re not smart, they’re animals!” Snarling, Rhys ran the fusion cell of his rifle dry, then switched to simply punching and stomping. “Stop complaining and -drop that feral!-”

  
Oh, I’m going to like him, Anita thought as she finally picked up the other Glowing One.

  
\--

 

15 minutes later, it was finally over. The two Glowing Ones were the source of the wave, their radioactive bodies able to resurrect the feral ghouls almost continuously. With those two down, the rest of the swarm was finally pushed back.

 

Rhys, still in what was left of his armour, glared at Anita. “That was damned sloppy, **civilian**.”

 

“Yeah. Because you were doing -so well- by yourself,” Anita snapped back.

 

“Both of you, enough!” Even through the helmet, Anita could still feel Danse’s glare, though it seemed more directed at Rhys than her. To Anita: “We appreciate the assistance, civilian. I apologise for the...less than hospitable welcome.” Rhys bristled, but said nothing. “In our defense, we’ve been here for a few years, and we’ve suffered some setbacks. Paladin Danse, Brotherhood of Steel.”

 

“Anita Mayweather, Diamond City.”

 

Danse took his helmet off, revealing a square, careworn face with brown eyes and black stubble and a few strands of hair that stuck out of the tight fitting hood. “Quite a ways. With the Pip boy, I thought you might be a vault dweller.”

 

“That’s...that’s a long story,” Anita said, then glanced at Rhys, who had been silent. “We good?”

 

Rhys said nothing, then moaned slightly and, with a crash, toppled over.

 

\--

 

“I’m fine,” Rhys growled. After the Knight’s collapse, everyone had retreated inside the converted police station that was the headquarters for the Brotherhood Of Steel in the Commonwealth. There had been some valiant attempts at cleaning, but the lack of people (Anita estimated eight total, though three, including Rhys, were wounded) available to both defend the place and keep it maintained was all too apparent to Anita; she had seen more than a few settlements fall apart for similar reasons. In one corner, a woman Anita had heard addressed as Scribe Haylen was tending to Rhys, who seemed less grumpy than usual after his brief bout of unconsciousness.

  
“Sure,” the young woman said, checking the bandage wrapped around his chest. “Internal bleeding, some of your suit’s armour inside your chest, and the start of a rather nasty infection. I don’t know, it might be kinder to just shoot you.”

  
For the first time, Rhys let out a small chuckle. “You’re all heart, Haylen.”

  
In back, Anita and Danse conferred. “We appreciate the assistance; despite what Knight Rhys said, you proved quite competent for a civilian.. We’ve been dealing with repeated feral ghoul attacks for the last few weeks. And we lost two scribes in the process,” he finished sombrely.

 

“I’m sorry. I’ve seen it happen a few times, especially in the heart of what used to be Boston.” Anita shivered slightly.

  
“As one of the Minutemen?” At her reaction, Danse continued “the hat is a bit of a giveaway. I’d heard that they had fallen apart after Quincy.”

  
“After General Becker was killed all the different groups started arguing.”

  
“I see. It sounds a bit like what happened to the Brotherhood after Sarah Lyons died in combat. But you’re not here for a history lesson, I take it.”

  
“This pip-boy came from a Vault Dweller who died not far from Diamond City. He was carrying this holotape.” Anita proceeded to show Danse the security tape. “I know the Brotherhood wasn’t involved, but I was hoping you might have something I could go on.”

 

“You’ve come a long way investigating someone else’s death.”

 

“He died looking for his son. All I know is that the Institute’s involved, and that I’m looking at a locked room murder.” She went on to describe Vault 111 as best she could.

 

Danse frowned, quiet for a moment. Then: “Unfortunately, I don’t have anything that could be helpful. But for what it’s worth, it’s reports of this Institute that brought my team to the Commonwealth from the Capital Wastelands. We have been noticing several bursts of energy not far from here; we were going to go investigate when the ghouls started attacking. We could use an extra gun, if you don’t mind lending the Brotherhood of Steel a hand.”

  
“I’ve come this far,” Anita answered, a faint smile crossing her lips.

  
\--

  
The next day, Danse, still in full armour, Anita, and Scribe Haylen set out.  “We’re headed for a place called Arcjet Systems,” Danse yelled as the trio set out, the clunk of his armour’s footsteps drowning out any normal conversation. “According to Haylen, it’s where the most recent set of energy bursts are coming from.”

 

“It’s also where we might be able to find parts to repair the antenna on top of the police station; we need a resupply.” If Scribe Haylen showed any fatigue from the cumbersome scribe outfit she was wearing, she didn’t show it. Both she and Danse carried laser weapons; Anita had been lucky enough to scavenge some extra ammunition for her weapons. The three left the police station at the crack of dawn, running down a small trash laden alleyway between the police station and an abandoned building, long picked clean of any useful items, or means of identification.

  
“Travelling this far from the police station is a risk, but we’ve no choice,” Danse said after clearing the buildings. “You might not have started on good terms, but Rhys and the other Knights are good soldiers. But we’re low on supplies and we need help. We can’t even relocate to a better position.”

  
“At least we’re doing better than Artemis did,” Haylen added. They vanished without a trace four years ago; the Brotherhood’s only just recovered enough from the fight with the Enclave to actually send another recon team out.” There was a snarl from Danse; not at Haylen, but at the ragged group approaching them from under an old bridge.

  
The entire battle was resolved in only a few minutes; the raiders attacking them rushed the trio, panicking at the sight of the imposing Paladin in full T-51 armour. Haylen and Anita were able to pick off three of the attackers, while Danse threw his armour into a hard dash and simply backhanded the last two attackers in a single swipe of his armoured fist. Both dropped and didn’t get up again.

  
Haylen swore as she ran ahead to check on the merchant. “It’s Jackson,” she called to Danse mournfully.

  
Danse nodded. “He was one of the few merchants who traded with us. Losing him means we might have to pack up and risk moving after all.” The trio marched on, after taking a few minutes to bury the merchant in a shallow grave. The rest of the trek was uneventful, until they made it to the ruined prewar building. Danse wasted no time, forcing the door open.

 

Inside, Arcjet Systems looked little better than the outside; everything had been tossed around, old lighting fixtures hung precariously from the ceiling, rust and small patches of mold could be seen all over the lobby. Danse scowled. “It was corporations like this that put the last nail in the coffin for mankind. They exploited technology for their own gains, pocketing the cash and ignoring the damage they'd done.”

 

“Pretty hard to ignore the atom bombs,” Anita answered, still looking around. “This...this doesn’t feel right,” she continued, readying her rifle.

  
“There is an odd smell in the air,” Haylen agreed. “Ozone?”

  
“Be careful, and let’s go in.“ Danse took his own rifle out, and led the way.

  
\--

  
“Okay, what the -hell- were those?”

  
Haylen glanced at Anita, surprised by the edge in her voice. “Synths. Oh, you’ve never seen one before, have you?”

  
Danse glowered at the metallic skeleton on the floor. “We’ve picked off a few of them, poking around our base of operations. But never this many at once. Are you alright?”

 

Anita nodded, rubbing her shoulder where one of the Synth’s blasters had grazed her. “Tagged me, but not as hard as a regular laser.”

  
Haylen gave one of the discarded lasers a quick once over. “Looks like it was mass produced. Probably tuned lower than normal in case there was an uprising. But at least the power cells are compatible,” she said as she popped the small yellow battery out.

  
“Synths have to be sentient to start a revolution,” Danse sighed wearily. Anita arched an eyebrow, but decided bringing up Nick Valentine right now would be...awkward.

  
\--

The rest of the excursion was one that would stick with Anita for a long time; As they trekked through the ruined facility, She saw:

  * more trigger happy Synth skeletons
  * her first real encounter with prewar technology, namely a rocket engine that left her and Haylen speechless
  * Haylen dragging Anita out of the engine testing chamber as what seemed like all the Synths in the Commonwealth decided to show up
  * Danse demonstrating the durability of his T-51 suit as he survived Haylen activating the rocket engine **right on top of him** , slagging everything else in the room,
  * making their way up to the control room where they found still more Synths, a small box Haylen assured them was the Deep Range Transmitter, and another small elevator that made alarming noises as Danse crammed his armoured bulk in with Anita and Haylen.



  
“Well, that was fun,” Haylen sighed as the three of them left Arcjet. “And I think we can finally make the call home. Thanks again for all the help, Anita.”

 

“Agreed. If you’re interested, the Brotherhood could always use more people like you.”

 

Anita was quiet for a second. “I appreciate the offer, but…” as she spoke, she took the hat off her head, looking at the small Minuteman emblem again. “Someone in Sanctuary is trying to rebuild the Minutemen. And I think they could use some help.”

 

“That’s a shame.” Danse raised a finger, tapping the side of his helmet. “That’s odd. The automated signal’s stopped.”

 

Haylen arched an eyebrow. “Just did maintenance on the receiver three days ago, everything checked.” the three hurried.

 

\--

 

“My god…” Haylen whispered. The inside of the Cambridge Police department looked like a firefight had taken place. Everyone inside was dead, all bearing the scorch marks of repeated laser blasts on their corpses. Haylen walked over to Rhys’ body, then half knelt, half collapsed. “He...he sponsored me as an Initiate,” she whispered. “He lived and breathed the Brotherhood.”

 

Danse came from one of the back rooms. “The radio’s been torn apart. And I found this,” he snarled, tossing a long metallic object into the centre of the room.

  
A synth arm.

  
To be continued!

 


End file.
